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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hand — in cards
  6. squash — to crush
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — music
  18. hand — help
  19. swing — in golf
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. swing — to play on
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com